Arts and Entertainment Archive

Whirling dervishes may not commonly be associated with the baroque chamber repertoire, but the versatile Brandenburg Orchestra invited a troupe from Southern Turkey to tour Australia as part of its project to explore the musical traditions of other cultures across the 16th, …

If classical saxophonist Amy Dickson’s new album was a Hollywood movie it would be set in the 1960s on the Mediterranean and its leading lady would be lounging by the pool in a long gown with her hair done and a cocktail …

The Antenna Documentary Festival launched its fourth edition with the premiere of the most fascinating and crazy documentary seen yet, Bugarach. The year’s festival motto is “you couldn’t make this up…” and we certainly couldn’t when we take a look at the quality …

Stephen Sondheim is one of Broadway’s most influential and prolific musical playwrights, certainly of the twentieth century, and arguably of all time. Squabbalogic’s production of Sondheim on Sondheim is a celebration of the life and work of the proclaimed musical God. The …

Words and music. Iconic Australian songwriter Richard Clapton has celebrated 40 years of writing and making music with the simultaneous release of his autobiography together with a three CD (plus DVD) set. Iconic is a lazy word, overused in the relentless sales …

Willow Beats may not defy genres but they certainly use them as decoys. With references to alchemy, the primal elements and soundscapes rich with ocean and forest sounds, you’d be forgiven for calling them New Age, until the breaks, heavy vocal modulation …

Toby Schmitz has a killer script in his hands with Mark O’Rowe’s no holds barred knockout of a play, Howie the Rookie. Returning to his Sydney stomping ground, the Old Fitzroy Hotel, Schmitz directs a blistering 80-minute tale of revenge, redemption and a …

Queensland musician Ben Craven describes himself as a cinematic progressive-rock singer-songwriter-performer-producer. But internationally he is regarded as a true Prog Lord. His last album – Great and Terrible Potions – was entirely created, performed and recorded by Craven. Great and Terrible Potions …

Powerful and passionate, The Motherf**ker with the Hat is back in Sydney for its second season entertaining audiences with its high-octane, obscenity-loaded exploration on love, fidelity and a mysterious hat. Written by American playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by Adam Cook, this black …

Only in a few rare cases do teen angst-ridden high school bands make it out with any success (sorry the ‘Liquid Coma’ of my past). The Cactus Channel is one such rarity. Starting out when they were 16, this ten-piece “cinematic soul” …